Renewable rubber-heel device.



W. M. SANFORD.

RENEWABLE RUBBER HEEL DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED 11113.25, 1914.

1, 1 1 3,695. Patented 001;. 13, 1 914.

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H NORRIS PETERS 60.. PHOTO-LITHO, WASHINGTON. D. C.

WILLIAM M. SANFORD,.OFHARTFORD, CONNECTICUT.

RENEWABLE nusnnmnssn Davies.

Specification of Iietters Patentl To all whom-itma'y concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM Mi SANFORD, a citizen of the United States,residing? at Hartford, in the county" of Hartford and State ofConnecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inRenewable Rubber-Heel Devices, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention-relates to renewable rubber heel devices, and th'e objectof my improvement is toproduce adevice that can be ap plied to the heelsof shoes'of: different sizes and in a mannerpermitting' of readilyremoving the same and which device is provided with tread devices of"suitable material, such as rubber in some cases and metal in othercases, or other materialas desired, and which tread devices may bereplaced when worn ormay be changed for other reasons if desired.

Primarily my device is intended to serve as a rubber heel, but insomecases the rub ber tread devices may be'removed as a whole thereforso that the device may be used as a creeper to prevent slipping on-ice.

In the accompanying drawing :-F1gure 1 is a plan view of my improvedrubber heel device. Fig. 2 is a reverse view of the same. Fig. 3 is planview of the -same in open position. Fig. 4: is a side elevation of thesame, the flange being in part broken out- Fig. 5

is a plan view of the left member. Fig. 6 is a similar view of'the rightmember. Fig. 7 is a rear elevation of the complete device in which someof the rubber tread devices shown in the other figures are replaced withothers of metal. Fig. 8 is a side elevation of one of the metal treaddevices shown in Fig. 7.

My improved heel device comprises a pair of members, respectively a leftmember 1( and a right member 11 pivotally connected adjacent the rearend by means of overlapping ears 12 and a pivotal 1n 13 and whichcombined are of suitable slze and shape to fit over a heel generally andwhich may be closed in or opened out more or less to accommodate heelsof different sizes, and which furthermore, are provided with lookingmeans, to be described, to lock the same in the adjusted position. Lugs14 are provided that engage with the material of the heel to hold thedevice in position on the heel. Holes 15 are provided in the members 10and 11 in which are housed tread devices 16 of rubber 01 17 of metal astliecase may be; The members 10 and 11 aremade of sheet metal andcomprise each a central body portion, a flange 18 along the outerlateral and rear edges, and the lugs'le integral with-the free edges ofthe said fiange 18. The tread devices16 and 17 compriseeach acylindrical body portion 19 that is a fit devices 17 is' roughenedsuitably'to engage with ice or other surface withwhich it is desired-tomake a-positive and firm hold, and the same-may be hardened. or in partand metal elementssubstituted' The flanges 18 are made of proper depthtolpermltf of housmg'the heads 20 between the body portion of themembers10 and 11 and the under surface of the heel on which thedevice ismounted. The lugs 14 comprise a pair at the rear as shown and a pairnear'the forwardend ofthe device, itbeing understood that a greaternumber may be provided if desired.

The locking means comprise a swinging member 22, pivotally connected byone end to the bodyportion of the left member 10 by means of a pivotalpin 23 and the other end overlying the body portion of the ri ht member11, and which other end is provided on the rear edge with a rack 24:; alug or stop 25 on the right member 11 suitable for engaging with thesaid rack 24; and spring means for normally holding the said rack 24.engaged with the stop 25. As shown, I utilize for the said spring meansone or more of the rubber tread members 16 and I do this by positioningone of the holes 15 so that the head 20 of the tread member that ishoused therein and which overhangs the said hole 15, will be in bearingengagement with the front edge 26 of the slide member 22. The said frontedge 26 and the rack 24 are both curved suitably to hold one of theteeth of the rack 24 engaged with the stop 25 for the differentpositions of adjustment of the members 10 and 11 throughout the rangedesired, with the head of lugs PatentedOQt. 13,1914.

' fore, while normally holding the locking member in the locked positionas described,

' because of the resiliency of the rubber, the

same will yield to an excessive pressure, such as is applied in placingthe device in position on the heel of a shoe.

In applying thedevice to a heel the memhers-10 and 11 are opened out;the device is placed on the heel with the heads 20 in abutment with thelower surface thereof; the rear lugs 14 are embedded in the material ofthe heel; the outer portion of the rack 24: being engaged with the stop25; and finally the device is closed against the heel, with the flanges18 bearing against the lateral wall thereof, and the front lugs 14 beingembedded in the material of the heel.

When in position on the heel there is a slit-like space 27 between theopposed edges of the members 10 and 11 and which permits of access tothe slide member 22 With a sharp or flat and thin implement and wherebythe slide member 22 may be pushed back to free the rack 24 from the stop25, when I the device may be readily removed from the heel. The stop-25as shown is formed by turning up an integral flange 0n the inner edge ofthe body portion of the right member 11.

It will be noted that they teeth of the rack 24: are soformed as topermit of forcibly closing the device against the heel when being placedin position and to resist opening the same Without directly manipulatingthe member 22. -That is to say in Copies of this patent may be obtainedfor heating left and right members 10 and applying the device to a heelpressing the 11 together to close them against the heel operatesautomatically to move the swinging member 22 back and forth so as toslide the rack 24 along the stop 25 until the amount of closing has beeneffected, and

the device is finally locked when such amount of closing has beeneffected.

What I claim as my invention is 1. A heel device comprising a pair ofmembers fpivotally connected together and having tread devices, flangeson the said .members having lugs suitable to be embedded in the materialof a heel, and a locking device comprising a swinging arm pivotallymounted by one end on one of the said members and having a rack, a stopon the other of the said members, and resilient means for holding thesaid rack engaged with the said stop and the said locking device beinghoused in the space between the said flanges.

2. A heel device comprising a pair of members pivotally connectedtogether and having tread members and having means for being secured toa heel comprising lugs for engaging with the side of the heel and alocking device comprising a swinging member on one of the said pair ofmembers having a rack and a stop on the other of the said pair ofmembers and one of the said tread members being arranged to serve as aspring member to hold the said rack ongaged with the said stop.

WILLIAM M. SANFORD. lVitnesses SAMUEL R. FENN, R. G. HARPER.

five cents'each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents Washington,D. C.

